Popular and Democratic Republic Of Algeria
Ministry Of Higher Education and Scientific Research
University Abdelhamid Ibn Badis
Faculty of Foreign Languages
Department of English language
BRIRISH ANCESTRY AND ANCIENT
ISRAELITES
(BRITISH-ISRAEL)
This Research paper is submitted to the English Department as a partial fulfillment for the requirement of “the Master 2 Degree” in Civilization (Brit-Civ).
Submitted By:
Fatima Zohra KHELIFI
Academic year: 2016-2017
Board Of Examiners
President Ms. ABDELHADI University of Mostaghanem
Supervisor Ms. BENMATI Fatima Zohra University of Mostaghanem
Dedication
I would like to dedicate this work to my family who has supported me
throughout the process of studying.
To my beloved parents, thank you for your support and encouragement
I also would like to dedicate my work to all those who contributed to its
accomplishment.
Acknowledgements
I would like to acknowledge the support and contributions of my wonderful network of colleagues and professors, family and friends during the writing of this thesis. I cannot thank you all enough for your help and support.
First and foremost to my supervisor Mrs. BENMATI, thank you for everything. I wouldn’t have been able to finish this without your guidance, many words of wisdom, enthusiasm and energy at every turn. Thank you for constantly reminding me that there is a life beyond honors, you helped me look forward and put this hurdle into perspective when it was very much needed.
Secondly, I would like to express my thanks to my beloved parents and all my family and friends. I especially want to thank my friends Sarah; Asma; Meriem; Djamila. I especially want to thank my friend Taieb AMER and Miss LAHMER, for her encouragement and support. To those who have taken this path with me, nothing can be said to show how much gratitude I have towards you all.
Finally, to my lovely brother Mustapha, if anyone can claim the dedication of this thesis, it is you. The fact that I was crazy enough to embark on this quest comes down to knowing you were there with me. From words of love and encouragement, you’ve given me the courage to travel this path and seek all the rewards that lie at its end.
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Abstract
By the early of the 17th century Europe saw the rise of many movements and cults. The
so-called British- Israel or Anglo Israelism is one of these cults which in its function aims to identify Britain and the British Nation identity with Israel. In other words, the first inhabitants of the British Isles (the Celtic and Anglo Saxons) are considered the descendants of the Israelite tribes. Thus, this thesis sheds lights on the British Israel by representing its functions and aims. But this required a wide range of researches to sort with obvious information and brought clear evidence about it. Moreover, it depicts the historical and cultural contexts briefly of both British peoples and Israelites. The first part of this research paper depicts the origins and ancestry of the Celtic and Saxons peoples while the second part deals with the roots and ancestry of ancient Israel. Finally, according to many records this thesis concludes that the British- Israel is not fact. It is just a lie. It is no more than a myth.
Key words
British Israel; Britain; Israel; British identity; Celtic; Anglo-Saxons; British Isles; ancient Israel;
IV
List of figures tables, and maps
Figure 01 Abraham’s Family Tree 26
Table 01 the names of Israelites sons and their meaning according to Hebrew 30
Map 01 The Twelve Tribes of Israel 29
Map 02 The Kingdom of Judah and Israel 45
Map 03 The Israelites in the Captivity 46
V Dedication Acknowledgement Abstract List of Figures Table of Content General Introduction………. 1
Chapter One: Britain, British Ancestry and Culture Introduction………... 6
I. Defining Britain……… 7
II. The British Ancestry……… 7
A. The Celts………... 8 1. Origins……… 9 2. Culture……… 10 3. Society……… 12 4. Religion……… 13 B. Anglo-Saxons………... 13 1.Origins……….. 15 2.Culture……….. 15 3.Society………... 18 4.Religion……… 19
III. Modern British Society……….. 19
IV. The Myth of British Ancestry……… 20
Conclusion……… 20
Chapter Two: Israel (Ancient and Modern) Introduction……….. 23
I. Defining Israel……….. 23
II. Ancient Israel……… 24
A. Historical overview……….. 24
B. The tribes of Israel……… 27
C. Ancient Israel Cultural Landscape……… 31
VI
2. Society……… 32
3. Religion……… 32
III. Jew, Zionist, Israelites and Israeli are distinct terms……… 32
IV. Modern Israel………. 34
A. Roots……… 34
B. The role of Britain in the establishment of Israel nation………. 35
V. Modern Israel vs. ancient Israel………. 35
Conclusion……… 36
Chapter Three: British-Israel Introduction………. 38 I. British-Israel………... 38 A. Definition……….. B. Roots of British-Israel……….. 38 40 C. Goals………. 42 D. British-Israel Doctrine……….. 42
E. The Lost Tribes of Israel………... 45
F. Identification of Britain in Scripture………. 47
II. British-Israel is Fact or Myth? ... 48
Conclusion……… 50
General Conclusion……….. 52
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Today, numerous books and television history programs tap into an enormous and enduring interest in the past. According to a famous English novel “The Go- Between” which is written by L.P Hartley: the past is a foreign country: they do everything differently there.
British islands were and are always home of multiple cultural groups and ethnic identities. History provides many indications of how a country such as Britain has traditionally been perceived and the extent to which its people, often accused living in the past used to do things differently. Britain is a country that is passing through a number of historical periods. It can be identified two of them that this research concerns with: the rural, and the multicultural periods.
Furthermore, the British Isles in early times saw several waves of invaders. The first inhabitants were the Iberians in about 3000 BC and they were followed by the Celtic tribes. The Celts personified the Iron Age civilization. Their culture is very different and ancient. Because these people left no written records about themselves the findings about them are only depending on their literate enemies such Greeks and Romans. Caesar, Diodorus, Strabo and others described these people as barbaric and warlike. The oral tradition of these peoples and archaeological research are important to piece out a contemporary society at that time. It has been said that the Celtics originated in central Europe in early time then they began to expand and moving toward west and south. At the height of their expansion, Celtic tribes occupied territory named Galatea in Asia- Minor (today's Turkey) west to British Isles and Ireland. They were polytheists and Druids are the priest version of Celts. They developed two phases of cultures, the first named Hallstatt and the second was known as La Téne culture.
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Then Britain was invaded by the Romans. And later invaders come from the most powerful Germanic tribes: Jutes, Angeles, and Saxons. They shaped the Anglo Saxon civilization about the fourth century AD. They shared enough characteristics philosophically and socially with the Celtic people even they have different language and different customs. Later it became difficult to distinguish the Anglo- Saxons from Celts. However British culture is a result of combination of the two parent culture. Thus, the Anglo Saxons identified the British identity at that time.
The history of ancient Israel in the Hebrew Bible was written by the Judahite authors in Jerusalem, the capital of southern kingdom Judah and the hub of the Davidic dynasty. According to biblical records, the first Israelites or the twelve tribes of Israel traced their ancestry to the prophet Abraham. The Hebrew Bible says that God told Abraham and his followers to leave Mesopotamia and go to the land of Canaan. There, they were to worship the one true God. In return, God promised that the land of Canaan would belong to Abraham and his descendants. For this reason, according to Hebrew bible or Torah, the Israelites settled in Canaan. The prophet Jacob was the grandson of Abraham. He was also called Israel, which means “one who struggles or fights with God”. Later the name Israel was given to the descendants of Jacob who, according to biblical Hebrew, raised twelve sons in Canaan. However, his family was divided into twelve tribes or separate family groups. The tribes of Israel lived in Canaan for about 100 years. Then a long drought began such Babylonian captivity and Roman conquest. Nevertheless the Jews continued to keep their religion even though other people ruled them. They expanded in many parts over the globe and settled in many places in Asia, Europe, Australia, and Africa. Moreover the presentation of Jews in Europe mainly in Britain played a key role in preserving Jewish identity and keeping Jewish communities transient. It would be later provide a key role in inspiring Zionist movement.
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More specifically, Europe saw several changes including the rise of many cults. Among these cults there was the so-called British-Israel which says that the Celt and Saxons race are Israelites in their origins and the Celts are the first wave of lost tribes of Israel in Europe. In other words, this cult “British- Israel” or “Anglo- Israel” aims to identify the British and British nation identity with Israel.
Therefore, from the lectures of American studies about New Israel last two years, and from reading series of books about the true identity of Israel and others about the British civilization, and some documentaries that improved great interest of making this research. It should not be, of course, neglected the curiosity to interpret and investigate about this term.
Thus this brief research aims to shed flashes of lights upon this theory of British-Israel which identified Britain with British-Israel by providing an answer for the following problematic: how far has British-Israel been a fact? However, in order to give a suitable answer for this problematic we have to provide answers for the following research questions: 1) who are the Celts and Saxons and where did they come from? 2) Who are the tribes of Israel and what did happen to them? Are the Jews, Israelites and Zionists synonymous terms? What is British- Israel and what are its goals?
So this work is divided into three chapters; the first chapter deals with the origins of the British people. It demonstrates the ancestry of British by representing the cultural landscape of the Celts and the Anglo Saxons. It shows up a modern British society and how the Jewish identity and culture take place in. The second chapter deals with the origins of Israel and provides facts about the lost tribes of Israel. This chapter also depicts the most important characteristics of ancient Israel, their customs and traditions. Further, this chapter points out the function of Jews, Zionist, and Israelite. It shows also the role of Britain in the founding of the Israelite state. The third chapter sheds light on the British Israel by
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representing its functions and goals and providing evidence about it. Then it deals with the identification of British, Celts, and Saxons as Israelites in Biblical Scripture in the view of many British-Israelite writers. Next, it examines the principal differences between British and Israelites in terms of history, culture and religion as an attempt to find a solution for the problematic of this research by proving whether British Israel is true or a myth.
Chapter One:
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Nowadays, many books, articles, journals, and several television history programmes and documentaries tap into an enormous and enduring interest in the past , in the ancient civilizations, providing interests about ancient people by giving a picture of their lives, cultures, religions, and more emphasized on the origin, identity, and of these people.
Thus, this chapter sheds light on the cultural groups and identity of British Isles. It aims to demonstrate the British ancestors by representing the Celtic and Anglo Saxons people within their origins and cultures.
I. Defining Britain
Britain is an island, and Britain's history has been closely connected with the sea (McDowall 03). The name “Britain” traced back to the Roman times. It comes from the word “Pretani” the Greco-Roman word for the inhabitants of Britain. The Romans mispronounced the word and called the island “Britannia”. The Roman province of Britannia covered most of present-day England and Wales(Wauconda). In addition, Great Britain or “Britannia Major” was used to distinguish Britain from other small territory in France namely “Brittany” or “Britannia Minor”
People often refer to Britain by other names. They call it “England”. But England is only one of the four nations in this part of the world(D’Oriscoll 10). They sometimes use the term Britain to refer to UK or British Isles. But neither Britain is UK, nor is Britain. Great Britain, UK, and British Isles are not synonymous. Great Britain is the official name given to the two kingdoms of England and Scotland and the principality of Wales. Unlike Great Britain, UK includes Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The British Isles include UK and other several islands as well as Isle of Man (Olson).
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The wonderful thing about archaeology is that it opens our eyes afresh to the complexity of both the recent and more distant past (Quin). From this view, history is governed by geography. So it is obvious that the history of Britain before the Roman conquest depends on the archaeological research and studies. These archaeological research divide man's history into the following periods: Lower and Upper Palaeolithic (sometimes known as Old Stone Age) refers to the everything before 8000 BC; Mesolithic (also known as the Middle Stone Age): 8000 – 4000 BC; Neolithic (the New Stone Age) which covers the period 4000 – 2500 BC; Bronze Age: 2500 – 700 BC; the Iron Age which covers the period 700 – 43 AD; Roman 43 – 410 AD; Early Medieval or Angelo Saxon (Dark Ages) which covers the Saxons and Vikings: 800 – 1100; Late Medieval: 1066 – 1530; Post Medieval: 1530 – 1850; and Early Modern: 1850 to the present (Quin).
II. The British Ancestry
The oldest inhabitants, according to historians, classical writers and archaeologists, came to Britain about 250,000 BC over the land bridge that connected today’s British Isles and the continent of Europe at that time. Then, the so-called Iberians reached Britain between, 3500 and 3000 BC. They may be come from the Iberian Peninsula. In addition, both the Iberians and the so-called Beaker people (c. 2000 BC; who’s named after the beaker shaped pots they made) settled in the South and southeast of Britain. On one side, the Iberians used stone and bone tools and their settlement were based on “henges”, great circles of earth banks and huge standing stones (e.g. Stonehenge). On the other side, the Beaker people brought the knowledge of metal working. They brought the knowledge of the Bronze to Britain; that’s why that period is known as the Bronze Age. Their influence was soon felt and, as a result, they became leaders of British society. Their arrival is marked by
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the first individual graves, furnished with pottery beakers, from which these people get their name: the “Beaker” people (McDowall 07).
A.The Celts
By 700 BC, another group of people began to invade Britain. They came to Britain in progressive waves of immigration with thousands of men, women, and children. Wave after another one, however they settled the whole of Britain just in the period occurred between ca. 700 and 100 BC. These were known as the “Celts”. They were famous of their iron working, thus that period known as the Iron Age. They are considered as the British first ancestors as McDowall described them:
Around 700 BC, another group of people began to arrive. Many of them were tall, and had fair or red hair and blue eyes. These were the Celts, who probably came from central Europe or further east, from southern Russia, and had moved slowly westwards in earlier centuries. They were technically advanced. They knew how to work with iron, and could make better weapons than the people who used bronze. The Celts began to control all the all the lowland areas of Britain, and were joined by new arrivals from the European mainland. They continued to arrive in one wave after another over the next seven hundred years (07).
The Celts were a group of related tribes linked by language, religion and culture that gave rise to the first civilization north of the Alps. Moreover, the Celtic people are considered as a starting- point for a study of the long series of peoples who have contributed to the British history by their settlement in Britain. They provide a link between the prehistoric period and the early historic period (Cunliffe 07).
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1. Origins
First, it should be concerned with the origin and the meaning of the words “Celt” and “Celtic”. The terms “Celt” and “Celtic” originally derived from Latin (Cletus) and Greek keltoi (Cunliffe 09; Monagham) and they are used by historians to denote European peoples who spoke a Celtic language. Secondly, the Celtic people were known “Galates” by the Greeks and “Gauls” by the Romans. Thirdly, the Celtic language could be divided into four languages: Breton, Irish Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic, and Welsh. These Celtic languages are still in use today in the connection with the cultures of the six Celtic nations; Brittany, Ireland, Scotland, Cornwall, Wales, and the Isle of Man. In her work, Monaghan, stated: “What the word Celtic itself means is unknown, if it was not, as many assume the name of a small group within the larger Celtic world, it may derive from the Old Norse word for “war”, for the Celts were known as a warrior people”(VII).
Furthermore, the word ‘Celt’ was not used by the so-called Celts to name themselves. The word ‘Celt’ was an invention of the 18th century (Dr.Simon). It is a modern term used by scholars and archaeologists to depict peoples whom having common culture, and to name Celtic nations that have Celtic language. However, these ancient people called themselves by the names of their tribes; that means that Celt is a name of one of their tribes. Accordingly, Monaghan said:
No ancient people called themselves “the Celts”. They called themselves Belgae, Cantii, Icini, Brigantes, Voconces, Arvereni, or by any one of scores of other tribal names. Where contemporary imagination sees a single culture, these ancient people themselves knew dozens of linguistically related groups, each bearing a name derived from an ancestor, a god or a goddess, a totem animal, a sacred location. The word “Celt” may originally have been one of these tribal names used by other Europeans as a generic term for the whole people (IV).
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Moreover, Because the Celtic people themselves left no written records, the finding information about them are based upon the literature works of their enemies, especially Romans, and their oral traditions that transmitted by storytellers. In the works of Hecataeus of Miletus, Herodotus, Ephoros who depicted Celts as barbarians, and Strabo whose described them as warlike people and others (Monaghan V). But these writers were reported what they learned from their travellers, they had no personal experience of Celtic ways, so scholars went further to write down their works and books about Celtics depending on the archaeological researches and excavations.
Hence, there has always been speculation about the origin of the Celts. That is meant that there is no asserted data and information about the origin of these people. Some historians and scholars do not know the origin of the Celts. They do not know where these people are from. They often named them the people who came ‘out of darkness’. Accordingly, still the origins of the Celts and the pathways of their earlier expansion are to great extent hidden in the time depths of prehistory (Meid 11). Other art historians and archaeologists have agreed that Celts originated in central Europe. Thus, the origins of Celtic peoples rely upon the archaeological evidence since history is governed by geography.
Indeed, in the genetic analysis and studies there was an interest in what genetics might be able to tell about the origins of the Celts in the UK (Wellcome Trust). In 2004, genetic studies carried by Daniel Bradley, of the Trinity College de Dublin, proved that the genetic ties between the inhabitants of Celtic areas of Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Brittany and Cornwall are very strong and that, among all other peoples of Europe, the closest genetic traits of these are located in Iberian Peninsula. Daniel Bradley proposes, similarly, a previous origin of at least 6000 years to the communities of the Atlantic coast (Goreti M.). Other Oxford University geneticists, Stephen Oppenheimer in his book The Origins of The
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British (2006) and Bryan Sykes in his book Blood of The Isles (2006) have concluded that the early Celts had their origin not in central Europe.
Therefore, neither historians nor archaeologists really know for sure where they came from. In his words, Mikhailova states: “Naturally, the area of the Celtic expansion (including the earlier periods) would comprise both the British Isles and the Iberian peninsula, but whence, where exactly and when the Celts arrived there (either by land or by sea) remains a matter of sheer speculation”(258).
2.Celtic Culture
The term ‘culture’ refers to the language, beliefs, values and norms, customs, dress, diet, roles, knowledge and skills, and all the other things that people learn that make up the ‘way of life’ of any society. Culture is passed on from one generation to the next through the process of socialization. Although there are many aspects of everyday life which are shared by most members of society, there are different conceptions and definitions of culture within this general approach (Browne).
Celtic culture is very ancient. Throughout Celtic history, the fourth century was a high point of Celtic influence in Europe. The Celtic culture and language were an active force throughout the entire continent, from Black sea to the Atlantic, and rom the Baltic to the Mediterranean where Celtic tribes controlled a number of important trading routes across Europe. Thus, archaeologists’ findings distinguished two distinct periods of the Celtic culture. Their earliest culture was known as Hallstatt and the second known as La Téne.
Hallstatt culture emerged from post 1000 BC to around 500 BC. This culture was a wealthy one being centred on a salt mining region. The use of iron was highly developed in this area by the end of the Hallstatt period (Desmond). This paved the way for the next
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phase in Celtic development. The La Téne culture emerged around 500 BC. This period is characterized by a new phase in Celtic expansion. It was not just immigration and trade but war which endeavoured to spread Celtic influence. However, Celtic movement, at that time, was southwards rather than westwards (Desmond). The La Téne art forms were a definite success with the spread of beautiful bronze and iron work over Western Europe. This period’s culture was influenced by Greek, Etruscan, and Scythian styles (Arnold 71-93; Cunliffe 40-45). According to Matson La Téne named after a village in Switzerland where later Celtic artifacts have been discovered.
3. Society
Celtic society was ruled by a warrior class. It organized into different feudal systems headed by a king or queen. Generally the Celtic society was divided into three different classes: a warrior upper class (headed by a king), druids (priests, judges and educators) and the commoners (i.e.freemen and slaves) (Cunliffe 116-117).
The Celts were farmers and fighters. They very clean people. Celtic men and women of Britain sometimes wore swirling blue tattoos or paintings on their bodies. All Celts played lyres and harps, loved song, music, and recitation of legends and epic adventures. They used metal or ornamented natural horns for drinking (McDowall 08). Furthermore, the women sometimes sewed little bells on the fringed ends of their tunics (Heather & Buryess). Their usual dress was a sleeved tunic tucked into a large, gathered, and belted skirt or simply an ankle-length tunic with a belt while Celtic men wore shirts and breeches (knee-length trousers) and stripped or checked cloaks fastened by a pin (McDowall08).
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4. Religion
When it comes to Celtic history, separating reality from myth is not easy (William D.G). The origins, culture, and traditions of the so called Celts are all highly obscure. The ancient Celts had oral traditions. Instead, Celtic history, customs and laws were passed on from one generation to another by word of mouth.
Celts were polytheists. They worshipped multiple gods and goddesses. Druids were the Celtic version of priests. They were spiritual leaders who led rituals and told prophesy. They were also educators and judges. Julius Caesar once said that they were a very religious people who had a moral code that distinguished right from wrong (Big Myth). In the Celtic religion moral salvation was considered the responsibility of the individual. These Druids could not read or write, but they memorised all religious teachings, the tribal laws, history, medicine and other knowledge necessary in Celtic society. Druids from different tribes all over Britain met once a year. They had no temples, but they met sacred groves of trees, on certain hills, or by rivers lakes (Cunliffe 51,153; Monaghan XIII-XIV).
It is only as prehistoric archaeology has come to throw more and more light on the civilizations of Celtic lands that it has become possible to interpret Celtic religion from a thoroughly modern viewpoint (E. Anwyl). There is a rich mythology of Irish and British origin . For the British, there is always the legendary King Arthur and Boadicea who fought against the Romans (Monaghan XV).
Celtic rituals were very mysterious. The Celts were highly respected the human head. They believed that the head was the centre of the soul, and contained the essence of the individual. The soul survived the death of the body. Further, the Celts believed that a severed head could move, speak, sing and ward off evil. Thus, heads of those vanquished in battle were highly prized and kept as family heirlooms. Nevertheless, the number three
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was also sacred to the Celts and there are many surviving artifacts that have a three sided head and three statues at a well. Water also had special meaning for the Celts, and many artifacts have been found that were probably deliberately thrown into the rivers and lakes (Goreti M.).
After the arrival of the Roman legions to British Isles, Celtic art and artifacts changed. They adopted the Roman god's names and absorbed many of the cults. However, Roman and Celtic cultures mingled together. Later, it seemed difficult to distinguish between them.
B. Anglo - Saxons
Britain was “ripe for invasion” (Roderick 16). The area was soon divided and split between the so- called Celts and the new invaders of Germanic tribes which occupied the south and east provinces, bringing with them their language and pagan culture (Brooks 21- 23).
The collapse and decay of the Western Roman Empire opened the way for other invaders to settle in British islands. This period is characterized by the arrival of the Germanic peoples. These immigrants occupied most of the west and northwest provinces of Britain that were left by the Romans. And no longer had these new waves of invaders dominated British. Their first work was to stamp out with fire and sword every trace of the Roman civilization (Allen 25). However, by the eighth century the Celtic identity of Britain had been replaced with the Anglo-Saxon identity of England.
1.Origins
The people who call Anglo-Saxons were from some of the most powerful and warlike tribes in Germany (Shore 02-03). The Oxford English Dictionary states that the
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concept “Anglo- Saxons” refers to a member of the Germanic peoples who settled in England during the early fifth century. As language, Anglo- Saxon is considered as the inflected ancestor language of modern English, it is called Old English, spoken in Britain from the late fourth to the early eleventh centuries.
Historians, archaeologists, and literary scholars all remain much less convinced.
They agree that the term “Anglo- Saxon” is a modern invention of the 19th century, as well
as in the case of the term “Celt”. Indeed, it should be remembered that the expression Anglo-Saxon is purely artificial, and was never used by the people themselves in describing their fellows or their tongue. When they did not speak of themselves as jute, English, and Saxons respectively, they spoke of themselves as English alone (Allen 08). Malone in his words explains more about this term:
The term Saxones representing a Germanic tribe of the North Sea Coast, was first mentioned by the Egyptian astronomer, mathematician and geographer Ptolemy at around 150 AD. He situates the Saxons to western Holstein or to western Slesvig. During the third century, they probably migrated westward along the coast. In the fourth century, they occupied the German coast from Elbe to Ems. During the fourth and fifth centuries, ―Saxon‖ became a generic term for a North Sea pirate. Therefore, ―the Saxons, Angles and Jutes who conquered eastern Britain in the fifth century were all called Saxons by their victims and by the Continental writers of the day, and the name were long kept as a generic term for the English settlers and their descendants, irrespective of the tribal divisions and subdivisions which held for many centuries‖ (174).
Any study of the fifth century in British history and mainly about Anglo - Saxons origins, culture and religion based upon three different sources. First of all, the works of
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Gildas Sapiens , a monk of the sixth century who wrote great part of the British history and after Roman rule in his De excidio et Conquesto Britanæ (The Ruin and Conquest of Britain). Later, he became a saint. Gildas was most born in the late fifth century in the burgeoning state of Dumnonia in the far southwest of Britain, in the area which is today known as Cornwall.
Secondly, the most known author was very famous by the epithet “The Venerable Bede”, meaning the most respected. He was a monk in Northumbria. He was born in the second half of the seventh century. He was an author of forty four works. His gossip is to great extent derived from only one of his most famous writings: The Ecclesiastical History of the English People, written about 731AD. Indeed, Bede's mention of the arrival of Germanic peoples in Britain and their conflict with the native inhabitants of the island is burrowed from the writing of Gildas in his De excidio (Anglo-Saxon Chronicle).
In addition, according to various scholars, Bede offered his own contribution to the advancing account of the Anglo-Saxons change by identifying three main ethnicities of the invaders known as the Angles, Saxons. In his own words, Bede noted:
They came from three very powerful Germanic tribes, the Saxons, Angles and Jutes. The people of Kent and the inhabitants of the Isle of Wight are of Jutish origin, and also those opposite the Isle of Wight, that part of the kingdom of Wessex which is still today called the nation of the Jutes. From the Saxon country, that is, the district now known as Old Saxony came the East Saxons, the South Saxons, and the West Saxons (28).
Thirdly, the writing texts and fragments known in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles preserved in later compilations, poems and references by continental writers. The Anglo-
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Saxon chronicle gives a year by year summary of events in the southern English kingdoms (Morgan 60-61).
Therefore, the early heathen poem of Beowulf also gives us a glimpse of their ideas and their mode of thought. The known physical characteristics of the race, the nature of the country which they inhabited, the analogy of other Germanic tribes, and the recent discoveries of prehistoric archaeology, all help us to piece out a fairly consistent picture of their appearance, their manner of life, and their rude political institutions (Morgan 60; Allen).
2. Culture
Anglo-Saxon culture was quite different from the culture that emerged in the high Middle Ages reflected in Chaucer (Ross). It was characterized and dominated by warfare and battle. In addition, bravery, generosity, loyalty and many other features are essentials and principal elements in their culture (Prezi). Furthermore, these people structured meetings in mead halls (a centralized buildings or neutral locations where no one would attack another tribe while in this communal hall. And the word mead is a fermented alcoholic beverage mixed with honey) where feasts, storytelling, and celebrations occurred.
In clothing, the Anglo Saxons man wore the robe or tunic gathered at the waist, completed by hose and soft shoes. For woman, the robe or dress extended to the feet. The usual materials were linen and woolens, the most expensive outfits being marked by colorful dyes and exotic borders. Brooches were used to fasten clothing by rich and poor, and a mullets of stone were worn for luck (Ross; Mason). And in food the crops most frequently grown were wheat, Oats, Rye, and barley (both as a cereal and as the base for beer) peas, beans, and lentils were also common food. Honey was the only sweetener in use, and it was used to make the alcoholic beverage mead. Pigs were a major food animal, as were cattle,
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Goats and sheep. Horses and oxen were raised for heavy form labour and transportation (Anglo-Saxon life.html).
Moreover, the language of the Anglo Saxons gave this land its name. Engla land, or England. During this period a distinct form of English lit developed and helped to define the English national character and identity (Ross). Nevertheless, this language is also called Old English. It consists of various dialects, and the simplified grammar, short words and syntax are involving in modern English today. Dr. Delahoyde in his text gives some features of old English used by these people:
Epithets were useful for alliteration, so God could be called "Weard" (guardian)
or "Meatod" (measurer) or "Wuldor-Fæder" (glory-father) or "Drihten" (lord) or "Scyppend" (creator) or "Frea" (master), etc. A king could be a "ring-giver" or a "noble lord" or a "righteous guardian." A phrase replaces a simpler name.
3. Society
The society was divided into several classes: upper class headed by the king, second class included warriors and lower class of subjects and slaves. As it is noted that “Anglo-Saxon social structure consisted of tribal units led by chieftains “kings or lords” who, theoretically at least, earned their respect from their warriors or retainers, or "thanes," the group being called a comitatus (Delahoyde).
4. Religion
The Anglo Saxons were pagans when they came to Britain. Religion was not a source of spiritual revelation; it was a means of ensuring success in material things (Ross). They remained pagans even the Britons were converted to Christianity. They worshiped multiple gods and they have pantheon as that of ancient Greek people and Celts. They
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worshipped gods of nature and held springs, wells, rocks, and trees in reverence (Ross). Moreover, the names of their gods are the names’ days today. For instance, the dark god or the god of dark named Tiw which means Tuesday; the god of war Woden means Wednesday; god of thunder Thor for Thursday, and Frigga, the goddess of home means Friday (Delahoyde 2).
III. Modern British Society
The United Kingdom of Great Britain has always welcomed newcomers for centuries. Thus it can be said that Britain is a multicultural society because Britain is and has always been a mixed race society. Early in its history was invaded by the so called Celts, Romans, Saxons, Vikings and Norman’s armies and later Africans were brought to Britain by force in the 17th and 18th centuries as slaves or servants. Over the years, Thousands of people have arrived in Britain as refugees as well as Jewish people from France, Ireland, Russia and other countries escaping from persecution or famine in their own countries. About 8% of the populations of Britain today are people from other culture and ethnicities.
IV. The Myth of British Ancestry
By the eighteenth century many historical records argued that the Celts were the original inhabitants of British Isles and they are the true ancestors of British. But by the twentieth century theories emerged to argue that the Celts and Anglo-Saxons are not the first forefathers of British because there is no agreements among historical, archaeological and genetic studies about the exact location of the Celts. More surprisingly about this topic is that Celts and Saxons are the descendants of the Israelites tribes.
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Conclusion
British island has consisted throughout recorded history of multiple cultural groups and identities. It can be told in terms of several waves of invaders; Iberians, Celts, Romans Anglo-Saxons and other new wave. Britain has always been a home to multiple people. That’s why it is so much difficult to trace the true origin of the first inhabitants and it is so hard to give an asserted answer or data about these early people of Britain, because they left no accounts of themselves. Recently, the rise of new theories about the roots of British are really made us shocked especially that theory which claims that Celt and Saxons and British have Israelite origins. However, the next chapters deal with this in details.
Chapter Two
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The study of ancient Israel and its history provides an examination of a society which is different from the present. The Israelite history enables to identity the origin of Israelites and their identity. Hence, the sense of the past provided identity for people and oriented them to narrative yielding aspects that endured far beyond their own time and place (Bill.T:1).
Thus, this chapter deals with the origin and ancestry of Israel as it provides some facts about the tribes of Israel and what happened to them, It also depicts the ancient Israel and Jewish cultural landscape. This chapter aims to represent the distinct between the terms Judaism, Israelite and Zionism. It also gives a note about modern or new Israel and its roots within the role of Britain in the establishment of Israelite state.
I. Defining Israel
According to the Hebrew Bible Israel refers to the new name that Adonai gave to Jacob (or Ya’aKov, meaning « heel holder » or « supplanter »), who was the son of Isaac, the gandson of Abraham, and the father of the tweleve partiarchs of the tribes of Israel (Rev. Wild.D.D 06).
Furthermore, the name Israel Yisrael is formed from a word play using the verb Yisresh, the imperfect forms of Sara, meaning ‘will fight’, combined with the suffix -el (God), which is used to indicate the subject of the verb (Parsons 01). Etymologically, Israel means God Fights. The word play occurs in the phrase “for you have Stiven (Sarita) as a prince (Sar) with God and with men have prevailed” (Gen 32:28).
In his writings, John Parsons said that Israel also refers to the 70 descendant of Jacob who entered into Egypt (under the auspices of Joseph) and that later grew into a great nation during the time of the Pharaohs. During the time of Moses, The clan fathered by Jacob is
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collectively called the children of Israel or Israelites. It is this group of 60.000 men(not including women and children) ), that Moses led out of Egypt during (Yetziat Mitzrain), the Great Exodus from Egypt, and who established them as the covenant nation of the Lord under the terms of the Sinai covenant. It was this same group of people who, under the leadership of Joshua, began to take possession of the land originally promised to Abraham by God Almighty (01).
II. Ancient Israel
A. Historical Overview
Every people of certain civilization have their own culture, identity and history. The Jewish people also have their own history, a long history which depicts their past, life, society, their culture and religion. But according to Torah and Qur’an the Jewish people are different from all other nation in the world. Their genesis and origins are luminous and lightened but later on, their history was dark.
In ancient Israel the three great monotheistic religions of the world emerged; first Judaism, second Christianity, and later Islam. Ancient Israel dates back approximately 4000 years to the books of the Old Testament. The first inhabitants were called Hebrews who became the ancestors of Israelites and Jews. In his book Early Israel, Bright noted something important which in his view make ancient Israel different from her neighbours:
What is it that made Israel Israel? What made her different from her neighbours? …It was not language, not habitat, not historical experience alone, not material culture—but faith. Israel was a people who became a people precisely because of her faith. The history of Israel, therefore, is not the history of a Twelve-Clan League, nor of a nation; it is a history of a faith and its people (114).
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According to the Hebrew Bible and Qur’an these people had blessed origins but their generations were malignant because they disobeyed their God. They came from Mesopotamia and settled in Canaan. Today, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan occupy the land that was once Canaan. The first Israelites were the descendants of Prophet Jacob the grandson of the Prophet Abraham (Peace be upon him). The Book of Genesis relates how Abraham was summoned from Ur of the Chaldeans to Canaan to bring about the formation of a people with belief in the One God.
In other words, the people of ancient Israel according to biblical archaeology and Jewish traditions, were originally from Aramaic race and deeply rooted in the land of the Chaldeans, where the land of Ur which is located south of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and then Haran in the north. Haran is very famous historically, where father of Prophet Ibrahim or Abraham lived in. According to the Torah and Qur’an the Prophet (Peace upon him) is the father of all fathers, the fathers of all believers on the earth. God tell him to leave his land and his people and settle in the land of Canaan. He was named Hebrew, meaning cross, and Hebrews were nomadic people, they have certain system and laws organized their life (Wright 23-24).
Notwithstanding, God called Abraham to go from Ur to settle in Canaan, this is known in Torah and in biblical records as The Call of Abraham: “The Lord had said to Abraham, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all people on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:1-4). So, Abraham left, as the LORD had told him (Lewis).
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Therefore, God made a covenant with Abraham. This covenant includes four promises: 1) God would make Abraham’s descendants a great nation. 2) God would blessed Abraham materially and make his name great. 3) God would protect Abraham by blessing those that blessed him and cursing those that opposed him. 4) God would bless all the families of the earth through Abraham. However, God was promising to do these things and nothing could prevent it (Dr.Wilson).
In short, the land of Canaan would belong to Abraham and his descendants. According to the Qur’an and the Hebrew Bible Abraham had two sons Ismail and Isaac and later he had a grandson named Jacob. Jacob was called also Israel and his name was given later to his twelve sons (12 tribes of Israel). The following figure shows the Abraham’s family tree:
Figure 01: Abraham’s Family Tree
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In his own words Bill .T. Arnold depicts the common ancestry of Jews and Israelites:
The people of Israel were just that: a people who recognized their origin from a common ancestor and were joined in kinship with one another through families and tribes whose lines traced back to a common origin. The land that produced the wealth for Israel to live as it did was recognized as a gift from God. God gave this land at a historical point in time through the disenfranchisement of the Canaanite peoples. The land was then allotted to families, and these inherited estates were passed down through history (02).
After the death of Solomon, the tribes of Israel split into two kingdoms. The northern kingdom named Israel and southern kingdom named Judah centred in Jerusalem. The two kingdoms often fought with one another until the Assyrian Empire conquered the northern kingdom around 721Bc.the Assyrians forced 10 of the 12 tribes of Israel (the first Diaspora) and brought un foreigners to resettle the land ( called Samaritans). Later, the Babylonians sought to expand its influence by forcing Judah into submission. Shortly thereafter, the Babylonian army attacked Judah and took more captives to Babylon (the prophet Ezekiel, one more captives, explained that God was allowing Babylon to punish Judah because the people had been unfaithful to God).the aggression of Babylon continued until they destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple that Solomon built (C.586Bc). Most of the remaining Jews were taken away as captives to Babylon.
After the death of Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian Empire was conquered Cyrus the Great (C.539BC) the king of the Medo-Persian Empire whom God anointed as a‘’messiahn'' by giving the Jews returned to Judah and began to rebuild the Temple ( C.536 BC).The Temple was consecrated exactly 70 years after the Babylonians had destroyed it ( C.586 BC).
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The Greeks began their rise to power under the Great, who defeated the Persian armies on Macedonia (333BC) and eventually conquered the land of Palestine. Later, a Greek ruler named Antiochus Epiphanies ruled Syria (from about 175Bc to about 164 BC). Antiochus also ruled over Judah and tried to destroy the Jewish religion by defiling the Temple and burning copies of Torah .This led to the Maccabean revolt which opened the way for Jewish independence in Jerusalem and the Surrounding area .This victory is commemorated during Chanukah.
After the death of Alexander the Greek, the Greek empire was divided up among four generals, which weekend the empire. Eventually the Romans invaded Syria (under the leadership of Pompey) and Jerusalem fell under Roman rule .A while later Jesus was born and performed His ministry to captive Israel. Several years after Jesus was crucified, the Roman Army (under Titus) destroyed Jerusalem and Herod's Temple (70 AD) in fulfilment of Jesus prophecy (Matt. 24:1-2).
Later in 135 AD, the Romans (under Hadrian) suppressed the Barkochba uprising, completely destroying the Holy City of Jerusalem, and sending all the Jews into exile. In an attempt to end all Jewish hope for an independent states Hadrian renamed the land from Judaea to Palestine -after the Jews historic enemies- the Philistines .This is the start of the Great Jewish Diaspora or the second Diaspora (Parsons 3).
B. The Tribes of Israel
The tribes of Israel are the traditional division of the ancient Jewish people (Encyclopedia Judaica). They are twelve tribes as follow: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph and Benjamin, and the two joseph’s sons Manasseh and Ephraim who lead Israel later. The following table (table 01) shows the
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names of the tribes within their meaning, and a map (map01) shows the places where each tribe settle in.
Map (01): the twelve tribes of Israel from Joshua to Saul
S
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Table (01): the names of Israelites sons and their meaning according to Hebrew
bible
Name Meaning in Hebrew
Explanation (NRSV translation) Ref.
Reuben "see, a son" Leah: "Because the Lord has looked on my affliction; surely now my husband will love me."
Gen 29:32
Simeon shama =
"heard"
Leah: "Because the Lord has heard that I am hated, he has given me this son also."
Gen 29:33
Levi lawah =
"joined"
Leah: "Now this time my husband will be joined to me, because I have borne him three sons."
Gen 29:34
Judah hodah =
"praise"
Leah: "This time I will praise the Lord." Gen
29:35
Dan "he judged" Rachel: "God has judged me, and has also heard my
voice and given me a son."
Gen 30:6
Naphtali niphtal =
"wrestled"
Rachel: "With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and have prevailed."
Gen 30:8
Gad "fortune" Leah: "Good fortune." Gen
30:11
Asher "happy" Leah: "Happy am I! For the women will call me
happy."
Gen 30:13 Issachar sakar = "hire;
reward"
Leah: "God has given me hire because I gave my maid to my husband."
Gen 30:18
Zebulun zabal =
"honor"
Leah: "God has endowed me with a good dowry; now my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons."
Gen 30:20
Joseph "he adds" Rachel: "May the Lord add to me another son." Gen
30:24 Benjamin "son of the
right hand" or "son of the South"
Rachel calls the baby "Ben-oni" ("son of my sorrow"); but Jacob calls him "Ben-jamin."
Gen 35:18
Manasseh "making to forget"
Joseph: "God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father's house."
Gen 41:51 Ephraim "to be
fruitful"
Joseph: "God has made me fruitful in the land of my misfortunes."
Gen 41:52
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C. Ancient Israel Cultural Landscape 1. Culture
Jewish law set out many rules for Jews to follow that affected their daily life. These laws influenced their education. The food they ate, and even the clothes they wore. They also required Jews to provide for the poor, visit the sick ,do good deeds, give to charity, and apply just laws to rich and poor alike, The laws emphasized self-control and reminded Jews of their religion. In addition, The Jews placed great importance on family. Israel's family life was dominated by the husband (Pedersen 61). Sons were especially valued because they carried on the family name, upon a father’s death; the son became head of the family.
Further, in ancient times, everyday meals were made up of fish, fruit, vegetables, and barley bead. Beverages included mainly milk, water, wine and beer. In clothing, Jewish law forbade mixing some fabrics. Some women used flax or wool to make cloth but did not combine the two. Jewish men wore tunics made of linen next to their skin. Some men layered another tunic on top of the first. In cold weather they wore wool or sheepskin cloaks. On their heads, they wore cops or turbans. On their feet, they wore sandals. Women dropped themselves in long, simple dresses. They covered their heads with shawls, Wealthy women wore loather shoes wore makeup, and owned Jewelry (Ancient Israelites Magazine).
Education was also important. Jewish children’s first teachers were their mothers when sons grew old enough, fathers taught them how to earn an income and to worship God later, elders took over the religions education of boys and taught them the Torah, because reading the Torah was central to Jewish life, religions teachers became important community leaders. However, Mothers educated their daughters at home. The girls learned to be good wives, mothers and housekeepers. This included learning Jewish laws about food
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and clothing. They also learned about the courageous women of ancient Israel (Ancient Israel in Biblical history).
2. Society
The society was governed on the basis of religious law that had been handed down to Moses by God. The Old Testament Israel had a patriarchal family structure: a patrilineal descent (through male line), a patrilocal residence (Biblical Studies).
Israelites lived in nuclear households during the time of the Biblical Judges, often with their relatives in clusters of houses around a common courtyard. Houses were made of mud brick with a stone foundation and perhaps a second story of wood. The living space of the houses consisted of three or four rooms, often with sleeping space on the roof or in a covered roof loft. One of the first-floor rooms was probably a courtyard for domestic animals, mostly sheep and goat (Biblical Archaeology).
3. Religion
The religion of these peoples was known as Judaism until today and from the same region emerged Christianity and Islam (Abrahamic religion). The Torah is the holy book of Judaism, the laws of the Jewish people. It is the first five books of the Christian Bible. The Torah is also known as the Five Books of Moses or the Pentateuch. And Talmud refers to books written to explain and interpret Jewish law like we have Hadith in Islam (Biblical History)
The Jewish have specific traditions and belief such as Hanukkah; it is holiday honors the rededication of the Second Temple. It is celebrated by lighting candles in a menorah. The eight days represent the amount of time the oil burned during the rededication. High Holy Days that is the first two days, Rosh Hashanah, celebrate the
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beginning of the Jewish New Year.On Yom Kippur, the most holy day, they fast all day and
ask God for forgiveness of their sins (World History, Biblical History).
III. Jew, Zionist, Israelite and Israeli are Distinct Terms
The terms Jew, Zionist Israelite and Israeli are with no doubt distinct and different. But Jews and Israelites are Hebrews and all Jews are Israelites because they are the descendants of the fourth Israelite son named Judah (Yehuda) from whom Jewish were named. At first point, a Jew is anyone who has a Jewish mother or who converted to Judaism in conformity with Halacha, Jewish religious law or constitution (Neuberger). According to Halachic definition:
“According to a strict Halachic definition, the answer to the question of who is Jewish is clear. A Jew is someone who either … is a child of a Jewish mother or is a Convert to Judaism who, after a period of serious and verified study of the Principles of the Faith and the Laws of Judaism, has done the following: Accepted upon him or herself the Yolk of the Kingdom of Heaven and the Yolk of God's Commandments, Immersed himself or herself in a Ritual Pool of Water known as a Mikveh, symbolizing Rebirth, if a male, has undergone the Process of Brit Milah” (Jewish 101).
Moreover, the word "Jew" is a fabricated word. It is not found in the Hebrew Scriptures or in the writings known as the Greek New Testament. The word Jew originated early in the 15th century because the letter "J" did not exist until introduced as a vowel difference by printers of early English Bible translations. In some English Bibles, the word Jews (the plural form) is used to replace the Aramaic word Yahudim, which would be a native or person dwelling on a portion of Palestinian land that was once known as the Kingdom of Yahud. However, unlike the word Jew or Jews, the word Yahudim would also
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include people of any diverse racial groups who were living in the region of the Southern Kingdom of Yahud. Even the occupying Romans dwelling there during the First Century could be Yahudim. This is like using the word “American” to refer to any of the many diverse peoples that are living in the country called America (The Assembly of Yahweh, Cascade).
At the second point, Israelites refer to the Jews in Old Testament, while Israelis refer to people with Israeli citizenship after 1948 (Jernigan). Accordingly, it can be said that Israelite is the Biblical usage while Israeli is the modern usage. The professor Paul of The Washington State University stated that:
In modern English the term Israelite is usually confined to the people of ancient Israel, either the kingdom of that name or more broadly any Jew of the Biblical era. Only modern citizens of the state of Israel are called Israelis. Although the term most often refers to Jewish citizens of that state, it can also to Arab, Muslims, or Christian citizens of Israel.
At the third point, Zionist are the supporters and followers of the Zionist movement. Zionism is the national movement that espouses repatriation of Jews to their homeland - the Land of Israel - and the resumption of sovereign Jewish life there (Herzl 5). The origin of the word "Zionism" is the biblical word "Zion," a mountain in Palestine often used as a synonym for Jerusalem and the Land of Israel (Eretz Yisrael). Zionism is an ideology which expresses the yearning of Jews the world over for their historical homeland - Zion, the Land of Israel (Neuberger).
To sum up, according to all previous definitions, all the Jews are Israelites and of course not all Jews are Israelis today. All Zionists are Jews, but not all Jews are Zionists; Zionists are Israelis but neither Zionists are Israelites nor are Israelites Zionists.
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IV. Modern Israel
1. Roots
Modern Israel originated in the Zionist movement which was established in the late 19th century. Zionist movement began in Europe in the late 18th century when Theodore Herzl, a journalist from Austria wrote a pamphlet, The Jewish State, which called for the creation of a Jewish nation as the solution for the Diaspora (Parsons 3). The establishment of a Jewish State was the only way of protecting Jews from anti-Semitism and persecutions (State of Israel Proclaimed). Herzl became the leader of Zionism and he organized the first World Zionist Congress, unifying diverse Zionist groups into a worldwide movement (parsons 3).
2. The Role of Britain in the Establishment of Israeli State
With the collapse of the Ottoman Empire during the World War I, Britain took control over Palestine. In 1917, Britain issued the ‘Belfour Declaration’ which declared its intent to establish a Jewish homeland in Palestine. Under this declaration, the Jews were permitted to return to the Promised Land. Later, the Nazi’s systematic murder, the Holocaust, killed of millions of Jews which caused a worldwide support for the Jews to establish the State of Israel as a permanent homeland. After, further immigration to Palestine, on May 14, 1948, the Jews declared independence for the democratic State of Israel (Medinat Yisrael) (Parsons 3).
V. Modern Israeli vs. Ancient Israelite
There is clear distinction between ancient Israelite environment and that of modern Israeli. Ancient Israel society was governed by Jewish religious constitution which
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organized different aspects of their lives, culture, clothing, marriage and so on. In contrast, modern Israeli society is totally different where religion is absent in managing the society. It is not a pure society; it includes many ethnics, for examples two group of Jews: "Ashkenazi Jews" and the other group as "Sephardim Jews" or Sephardic Jews.
Moreover, according to Yussi in his book The True Israelis in an Arabic version which translated by Malik El-Budairi, modern Israeli society is definitively a political society in which politicians dominated all sectors and domains of economy, health, factories, arts and sports (My Trans).
Conclusion
The ancient Israelite civilization developed in Judah and Israel. These two kingdoms have common origins. They were descendants of Jacob the grandson of Abraham. They were guided by prophets in their early times like Joseph and Moses and later judges ruled over them and finally the kings as Saul the first king and after David, Solomon. The early Israelites settled in Canaan for many years before they were taken into captivity by Babylonians and Assyrians. And later their homeland was completely destroyed by the Romans. As a result they escaped and settled in different part of Europe, Africa, Australia and Asia. So the presentation of Jews in these places mainly in Europe and especially in Britain played a key role in preserving Jewish identity and keeping Jewish communities transient which would later provide an important role in inspiring Zionist movement by which the nation of Israel reborn and called ‘Israeli state’ which is totally a political state.
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The beginning of the 17th century saw the rise of hundreds of cults across Europe. The majority of these cults including what would later be known as British Israel or Anglo Israeli. This theory says that the British, Celts and Saxons peoples of the world are the modern continuation of ancient Israel, and they are direct biological descendants of the ten lost tribes of Israel. In other records the writers and fathers of this theory identified the British nation identity with Israel.
Thus, this chapter sheds some flashes of lights on the concept British- Israel. The first part of this chapter deals with the functions of British- Israel/ Anglo -Israel and demonstrates its main goals and purposes. The second part examines the identification of British, Celt and Saxons in the biblical Scripture which was mentioned by many British Israelites writers. The third part gives a general account of how ancient Israel differs from early Britain in terms of culture, history and religion. And finally it provides facts to examine the validity of British -Israel.
I.
British –Israel
A. Definition and origin of British Israel
British Israel or British-Israelism, also known as Anglo-Israel, is the belief that the
"lost ten tribes" of Israel migrated to Europe and then to England and became the primary ancestors of the British people and, thereby, the United States. British Israelis was made popular by the Worldwide Church of God and Herbert Armstrong, but other groups have held the doctrine as well (British-Israel.com).
According to Encyclopaedia Judaica “British-Israel, or Anglo-Israeli, is a theory that identifies the Anglo-Saxon race with the ‘Ten Lost Tribes’ of Israel. It is said that promises given to Israel in Scripture will be fulfilled in Britain, America, and other Anglo-Saxon countries (600).
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Nevertheless, British-Israel provided the theological justification for the British Empire through the concept of 'birthright'. This was established through the prophecy that Abraham's descendants would be an invincible great nation, numerous as the dust of the earth, including multiple nations based in an isle of land that would control the earth. The descent of the ten tribes of Israel into idolatry and banishment into the wilderness, as God's punishment, provided the impetus for British-Israel to follow them to the British Isles. A combination of literal interpretation of Old Testament Scriptures and legendary history underpinned belief that the British were the spiritual and biological heirs of Abraham and the Royal family was directly descended from the David line of the tribe of Judah. This implied both the British Empire and Church of England were modern manifestations of the Kingdom of God justifying the British, as God's chosen people, rule of the earth (Simpson).
According to Altholz British-Israel can be defined as a variety of British nationalism buttressed by biblical references with all the attributes of a religious movement except religion (Altholz 130). The predominate idea of the British-Israel movement was that Great Britain was the home of one or all lost tribes of Israel implying that the inhabitants were God's Chosen People (Simpson 1). British Israel is a British-Jew trick to grab the world by turning God's truth into profanity (Peters 157). Furthermore, it can be defined as a cult:
British Israelism is a syncretic cult which, in its simplest variant, claims that the Anglo-Saxon-Celtic race is the true “Ten Lost Tribes of Israel,” that the British sovereign is descended from King David, and, that as such, an all-encompassing British Empire is biblically prophesied to rule the world in the few final days before Jesus Christ touches down on the Mount of Olives and ends human history (Thompson and Minnicino 36).
